Sneaking in the second one tonight. :) Sorry about the delay. It's been a whirlwind.
Ethan didn’t say anything. I got up, leaving everything on the table and as I went down the stairs, my feet moved faster. I’d pulled Thing out of the garage earlier and I was glad now. It was overcast today and I’d kept the doors shut in case it rained. Making my way out the door, I made sure it shut before I unlocked the car door.“Sky…” I could hear the fear in his voice.“I’m getting in the car now.”He was quiet as I put him on speaker as I started up Thing and pulled out of the shop. I doubted Ethan was sitting there and I was right as I heard Justin in the background. I’m sure there was a bunch of things he could do on his end but at the very least I could take the road heading to the pack. There was really only one way to get to the shop by car from the pack which made it easy, it just wasn’t a quick drive.The sound on the other end got louder and I assumed Ethan put me on speaker
The phone went dead as I watched Ethan pulled over and get out. His eyes roamed over his Mom’s car before coming over to me. I let my hand fall and the phone slip out, digging into the mud. Ethan was searching my face but you could see he already knew. Handing him the paper, Ethan looked at it before he stepped back from me.I watched as he struggled to control his shift. Part of me wanted to reach out but as I did, I pulled my hand back. This was my fault. His Mom was taken because of me. What right did I have to reach out to him as he lost control for a moment. Shutting my eyes against his pain for a moment, his wail turned howl hurt and Raine howled as well.“I…I’ll get her back. Ethan, I promise.” I opened my eyes and realized his brown ones were boring into me.“Like hell you are. I’m bringing in Heath. I’m taking down that pack once and for all.”This time I reached out and took hold of his arm.
I walked into the pack house and it was completely different from normal. Warriors moved in and out, a few of them nodded to me as I walked in. The air was serious but loud with everyone talking. After splitting with Ethan, I’d gone back to the shop to grab a duffel bag of essentials. Since I didn’t know when or if I would be back, I also apologize to the owner of the Mach 1 and told him that all the work I did already he didn’t need to pay for and I also paid for the tow back to his location.Now, being in this chaos, I felt myself shrinking back into the corner. Of course, Justin could feel me and knew when I was about to do that. He stepped back from the kitchen table turned planning table and encompassed me in a hug. His lips pressed to my forehead.“I’m sorry, Half-Pint. We will figure this out. I promise.”I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my face into his chest. “I know.”He took my arm and dragged me through the people into the kitchen. Ethan was pacing behind the table,
I didn’t like this. As much as it seemed like Ethan knew the guys from the Alpha King, they seemed off. Really, I was probably biased since the one interaction with the Alpha King I had was him sending mercenaries after me. Still, I felt on edge the moment they stepped into the pack house. They could be here to kill me and move on to Silver Mountain. There really wasn’t anything I felt the Alpha King wouldn’t think of in this scenario.Ethan thought it would be good for me to step up and meet them when they walked in. Both telling them I mattered in this space as well as showing them I wasn’t some evil being hellbent on ruining the world. Raine stepped in and said that was to decided and Ethan did not think that was funny. Justin did, since he giggled in the background.Now I had been tossing and turning all night. We were leaving tomorrow and I didn’t feel good about anything. I didn’t feel comfortable. Finally fed up, I snuck out from between Ethan and Justin. Sneaking down the hall
Justin was tapping the steering wheel as we drove down the last stretch for this evening. Tomorrow we would be heading into Silver Mountain at around three. I’d decided to text Emmett yesterday that I was headed to the pack but he never replied. That was unusual and it set me on edge. Not that I was sleeping well to begin with but if it wasn’t Ethan or Justin, it was Sam forcing me to sleep in the beds of the ridiculously expensive hotels we were staying on the way.I’d never stepped foot inside fancy hotels before but I knew the signs. We’d get into the room and there would be chocolates on the pillows with extravagantly folded towels in the bathroom. It was nice that we didn’t need to shower in the gross places I had slept in leaving the pack but apparently, these were all being paid for by the Alpha King. Sam decided since it was on his dime, she’d try to go through the late night menu and eat her way through the hotels.“We going to talk about it now?”I raised my eyebrow and look
‘Sky. You need to sleep.’I groaned, rolling over under the cool sheets. Raine continued to wake up and remind me that I needed to sleep. It seemed stupid now, since it was almost five in the morning and we were set to leave at six-thirty again.‘At least get an hour.’I sighed. ‘No. I’ll sleep in the car. It’s fine.’Slowly, I got up and slipped into the bathroom. I didn’t want to disturb Sam who was sawing logs in the other bed. I took a shower, letting the water flow over me but it didn’t do much to the tension in my shoulders. My outfit I had picked the day before. Without knowing what we were going into, I wanted to at least look like me.That meant all my piercings went in. I took the time to shave the side of my head properly and wore a shirt that dipped low in the back to show off my mantle. My lips thinned as a looked at my phone. It was still dark and it hadn’t lit up since leaving Red River.I’d tried calling everyone. Carl, Waylin, Jaxon, Bernard, Drake, Paul and even Hele
“Are you ready?”Sam asked the stupidest question as we drove closer to the territory line of Silver Mountain. I’d taken the lead when I took over driving. The Escalade with the Alpha King’s knights already fell back and were no longer following us. Part of me was surprised but I was more grateful that they didn’t pull anything. Justin was in the passenger seat and Sam was in the back. Ethan was driving behind us with his dad.My thumb tapped against the steering wheel until Justin leaned over and put a hand on my thigh. “It’s okay, Sky. You’re not alone.”“I know. I know.” I took a deep breath as I continued to drive.Slowing up to the territory, I stopped just where the line was and Justin leaned in. He was squinting at the line of wolves in front of us.“Who…?”Throwing Thing into park, I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Stay here.”“Wait! No! Sky! This isn’t part of the plan!” Justin looked from me to the wolves.“Don’t worry. They won’t hurt me. I need to confirm something before we go fo
“You insolent child! After everything…!” Francesca tried to speak up first but Father put up his hand, silencing her.“Anastasia, you have disappointed me.”I rolled my eyes. “Damn. I was aiming for higher. I guess I’ll have to settle for only disappointing you.”“Pup, don’t test me. Need I remind you that you are not the one with the power here.”My eyes slipped to Emmett, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “Neither are you.”My father growled but Ethan pulled me back, growling and baring his canines. “Watch yourself, Alpha Cross.”“Who is the pup baring his canines at me?”Alpha Alan stepped up, putting a hand on both Ethan’s shoulder and mine. “My son and current Alpha of the Red River pack. As well as Skylar’s mate.”I watched with a sense of satisfaction of the horrified looks from Francesca and my Father. Caleb looked shocked but it was Emmett that I kept my eyes on. He was furious as Alpha Alan moved my hair just a bit to show the mark. My fa
I can't believe I'm actually here. We are at the end of Shift. Done. Complete. Marked and mated. ;)First off, thank you. All of you. Every single one who liked, who commented, who corrected my spelling, who didn't do anything but just read. Every single one of you have stuck with me and I can only hope that you guys enjoyed a peek into the lives of Sky, Ethan, Justin, Emmett, Kev, Sam, Kat, Caleb...and so many other characters. They are near and dear to my hearts and I honestly will say, closing this last chapter out was such a heartfelt moment for me.I could not have continued this without my regulars. You know who you are and I just want to say even when I felt down, I knew I had to keep going because I honestly didn't want to disappoint. As a lot of you know, I struggle with being sick a lot. So having my writing means so much to mean and having you guys be so patient during that time means the world to me. Especially when it feels like there is so much negativity on the internet.
My lips crashed onto Sky’s and it was an entirely different feeling with the electricity of the mate bond. Niru was growling and howling incoherently in my head but at the same time, it all made sense. I wanted her, needed her. Needed everything that she would give me. The thing that surprised me the most was that I wanted to share her as well. Pulling away, I looked at Justin who was just about foaming at the mouth.“She tastes like orange citrus as well. Would you like to taste her lips?”Justin’s irises blew out and a shiver ran through his spine. He reached for her but it was a lot more gentle than I expected. He brushed her cheek and sucked a hair behind her ear before pressing his lips to hers. She molded up against his body and I stepped up behind her, brushing the hair out of her face.“Can you taste it? Taste the orange with the salt from the sea?”Justin hummed as he pulled back slowly taking her lip between his teeth for a moment before letting it go. I smirked, feeling how
Justin chuckled. “You mean Fast Orange? Yeah, I smell it. Of course that’s what she would smell like. She uses that shit almost every day.”I smiled and I realized he was beaming too. This time we did follow our noses. She had been here but she wasn’t here anymore. We followed it back up the stairs as she wove through the art tents and through the throng of people that had amassed. I pushed through first, following just my instinct, Niru almost fully taking over.Justin was right behind me, never once straying or getting stuck behind someone else. I followed the orange scent and it started getting stronger. Like I had just stuck my nose in the bucket of the stuff she kept in the shop bathroom. The beach was relatively quiet since it was getting cooler as the sun was going down.Near the edge of the waves, just where it was lapping up onto the sand, Sky stood alone. Her large-brimmed woven sunhat was pushed back on her head and sunglasses were set around the top of it. She was wearing a
There was a read receipt but she wasn’t replying. Not that I blamed her. Sky probably saw right through my charade. Justin looked over my shoulder at my phone. “Yeah, because that’s not over the top.” I growled at him but continued to stare at the screen. Finally, I held my breath when the three little dots appeared. Justin was the opposite, breathing heavy as he started at my phone as well. S: Well, it’s nice to be remembered today. Both Justin and I winced. Oh yeah, she was mad. ‘Who can blame her? I sure can’t.’ Niru added his two cents. Shaking my head, I typed up another message. Mate #1: I’m sorry, baby. Really. Come on, let’s celebrate together, yeah? We can go to your favorite place in the city, have a nice dinner or whatever you want. Justin snorted. “Way to lay it on thick.” “What else do you want me to do? We fucked up. She knows it. We know it. I’m not about to lose the chance to be with her on her birthday because of it. Are you?” That shut him up as we both
*** Ethan’s POV *** My alarm went off and all I wanted to do was throw my phone at the wall. I’d gone to bed at three in the morning and I knew this alarm was for eight. My eyelids didn’t want to open and I turned over in bed, burying my face in my pillow. This had been the first time in three days I’d gotten to bed. It was a chore dragging myself up the stairs but I’d made it.Normally, I loved doing the work behind the scenes. The problem was is that the inspector with an entire tree trunk shoved up his ass decided that he was going to nitpick laws that weren’t even updated in this century. I would know because I fucking checked. Mr. Marrow had been out three times and each time we passed the first set of requirements but would find even more to throw our way.‘You need to be extra safe when it comes to our youth. You know, they are our future and the path to a better tomorrow.’ Niru copied his grating voice almost perfectly, before growling and snapping his jaw. ‘If I could just s
*** Four Months Later *** My eyes peeled open and I reached out for my phone. The screen flashed four in the morning and I groaned. My hand fall back against the sheets and I laid there for another moment. However, it was Raine who started to bounce up and down in my head.‘Raine, come on.’‘But Sky, aren’t we doing to do the thing?’Her exuberance and happiness made a smile creep onto my face.‘Come on, Sky. If we go early, we can be there early!’‘Alright, alright! Fucking hell.’Throwing the blankets off of me, I got up and padded into the bathroom. Going pee and taking a quick shower, I woke up enough to feel somewhat alive. Coffee would get me the rest of the way there. The kitchen was quiet when I walked in and I still continued to thank the Goddess for it. It had been a month since everyone moved the hell out of my place. There was still work needing to be done in the apartments but I left that to the contractors and the guys themselves.For now, I would enjoy the simple peace
I sat on the stairs of the porch, looking out over the back yard of the pack house. Everything was so quiet here. It was nice to take a break from the chaos that was now my home. At least for a few minutes. The wind blew and I tucked a stray hair behind my ear. Looking down at my phone, I stared at the messages that were there. E: Hey Sky, I feeling a little better today. Sam made some kind of soup. It was completely inedible. She had to order pizza. It reminded me of when you tried to cook that pasta dish and you somehow managed to burn the pasta. E: I went shopping online today. Got some more clothes. Bernard came by and cut my hair for me. That was nice. It was getting in my eyes. They won’t talk about you though. It’s like you don’t exist anymore and I hate it. E: Today was a bad day. I don’t know why. I just woke up and I threw up until there was nothing left in me. Sam tried to help but I felt disgusting. I’m reminded of what I did. What I had done. It’s like it comes back
We headed down the road in Ethan’s truck. I was squished between Ethan and Justin in the center seat of the bench. Still, it felt nice as I rested my head on Justin’s shoulder and my fingers laced with Ethan’s. I’d need them to handle this trip.“I gave one of the new homes to Sam. Her and Emmett have been staying together.”“So she didn’t reject him?”Ethan squeezed my hand. “She didn’t. She hasn’t marked him but when she heard what you did, I think she thought it only right for her to give him a chance as well.”My heart lightened just a little, knowing that something good may actually come from all this pain. Ethan turned down the road that was brand new and I could see the new homes that were being built. There were three blocks of them that were already finished and he pulled into the driveway of one that was a block down. I scooted out of the middle and Justin helped me down from the truck.“Whatever you do, pretend like I’m not here.”Both Ethan and Justin gave me confused look
I woke up screaming and my eyes flung open. Everything was hazy and I didn’t know where I was. All I could remember was the all consuming feeling of the darkness. How sticky my hands were from Emmett’s blood. The last sound that came from Marrok as I killed him. My heart sped up as I started to hyperventilate, as my stomach started to roll.“Hey! Sky! It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe.”A hand brushed my cheek but I flinched away from in.“Shit. Hold on. I’m pulling over.”I felt bile start to come up but I just coughed, forcing myself to not throw up. I hadn’t realized we were moving until the motion stopped completely. It helped a bit for my stomach but I still felt like I couldn’t breathe. Hands slipped under my arms and pulled me up from my laying down position. My head fell heavily against Ethan’s shoulder and arms held me tight.“You’re okay. I’ve got you. I’m right here.”That broke the damn. I started to cry as I grabbed onto the front of his shirt, balling it up between my